Proposed budget changes giving plans

By Tony W. Cartledge

BR Editor

HENDERSONVILLE - The executive committee of the Baptist State Convention (BSC) board of directors narrowly approved a two-year budget proposal for 2006-07 that calls for an additional one percent of budget receipts to be forwarded to national bodies supported by the giving plans. Both the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), funded by Plans A, B, and D, and the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship (CBF), funded by Plan C, would receive one-half of one percent more in 2006, and an additional 0.5 percent increase in 2007.

For Plan C participants and churches in other plans who negative-designate the SBC and substitute CBF, however, the portion forwarded to the CBF would no longer count as "Cooperative Program" receipts for the purpose of determining the number of eligible messengers to the convention.

Budget chairman LeRoy Burke said the committee recommended both changes in a proactive effort to preserve the giving plans by heading off more severe proposals at the annual meeting in November.

During the 2004 session, a motion to eliminate the giving plans failed by what appeared to be more than a two to one margin on a show of ballots, and a motion to get rid of Plan C was ruled out of order.

Board president John Butler said the committee had felt increasing pressure from some parties to eliminate the giving plans and to increase the SBC's portion of the budget from 32 percent to 35 percent, "the way it used to be."

A study of annual reports from the BSC shows that the SBC last received 35 percent in 1992, when the BSC received 65 percent. But, matching funds for the minister's annuity plan - about 6 percent of the total budget - were deducted before the split, effectively reducing both SBC and BSC allotments to less than their stated percentage of the total.

In 1993, the annuity plan funds were incorporated into the SBC portion of the budget, which was raised to 38 percent, with the BSC receiving 62 percent. In 1995, the annuity plan funds were shifted from the SBC allotment into the BSC portion of the budget. The resulting split of 68 percent for the BSC and 32 percent for the SBC in Plan A has remained constant since then.

Butler said budget planners and convention officers and officials were afraid that someone might make a motion at the annual meeting to change the percentages immediately, or to eliminate the giving plans.

"There is a substantial number, and based on voting patterns, if someone pushed the issue it could pass," he said. "That could devastate the state convention, if it lost three percent at once."

The issue of whether CBF contributions should count as Cooperative Program giving has been a major sticking point for those who oppose Plan C, Butler said, so the committee sought a compromise that would head off stronger actions in November.

"We talked with leaders at the CBF who didn't see this as a problem," Butler said, and "we talked with leaders on the more conservative side who said this is a compromise they can live with and keep Plan C in place."

Butler later clarified to the Recorder that he did not have the conversations personally, but the information had been relayed to him through others, including convention officials. He did not identify which leaders on either side had been contacted. Employed and elected officers with CBF of North Carolina and CBF national said they had not been contacted.

Greg Mathis, pastor of Mud Creek Baptist Church near Hendersonville and a member of the budget committee, told the Recorder that he raised the idea after talking with many conservatives across the state who are bothered that money going to CBF is counted as Cooperative Program gifts. "I tried to do something that was reasonable and hopefully something acceptable to a majority of messengers, and hopefully continue with the optional budget plans," he said.

Mathis said it was not his intention to make CBF churches feel like they are not full partners in the BSC.

"It was a way to calm the waters, to compromise and to continue to work together," he said.

Butler told the executive committee that a preliminary study indicated that the change would not affect the number of messengers for any churches, and that it involves a relatively small amount of money, about 0.6 percent of total receipts.

"We're trying to find a way to stay together. If we can find a compromise that both sides of the table feel they can accept and go with, maybe we can move ahead and not have to deal with this every year," he said.

BSC president David Horton echoed Butler's thoughts. "I've been involved in some of those discussions with those who would do away with Plan C," he said. "This would work for the good of the convention. If we don't do it, I do believe the results we see in November will be much more difficult to live with than any decision we make today."

"That is the reality of the times that we are in," Horton said. "It's where we are. These are our times. God grant us the wisdom around this table to do what is best for the convention and the kingdom of God."

Several committee members expressed appreciation for the efforts to keep the convention together, but said the change would send a signal that CBF-supporting churches are less acceptable than SBC-only churches, and not worthy of as many messengers.

Butler said the concerns he had heard were that "Cooperative Program" historically referred only to a relationship between the SBC and state conventions, and the inclusion of CBF as Cooperative Program funds was a major sticking point for some who opposed Plan C. He reiterated that the committee's desire was to preserve all four giving plans by working out an acceptable compromise.

Clella Lee, chair of the Council on Christian Higher Education, noted that the BSC had adopted the term "Cooperative Program Missions Giving" (CPMG) as a way to distinguish the North Carolina giving plans. "I thought CPMG meant we could cooperate," she said. "It makes me very sad and disappointed that that's not what it meant."

"I feel like we have to make decisions based on principle, not based on what we think might happen," Lee added. "We should make decisions on the principle of what we as N.C. Baptists want to say to the world."

"It's not the amount of money," said Jane Eskew, chair of the Council on Christian Life and Public Affairs. "It's the principle of accepting one another and working together to contribute money for missions."

Brian Davis, second vice president of the BSC, likened the situation to the difference between cutting with a chain saw or with a surgeon's knife. If a motion to eliminate the giving plans was raised and passed at the annual meeting, he said, it would be like "a chain saw massacre."

But, "a surgeon can make a precise cut and bring healing," he said.

Billy Honeycutt, chair of the Strategic Initiatives and Planning committee, asked Butler and Horton if they believed the action would "satisfy the people who came to you," or if they would come back next year and say "now we want this if you don't do something."

Butler said "I think this would settle the issue for good for keeping four giving plans, and it would not come back to the table." The percentages would come back up in two years when a new two-year budget is proposed, he said.

Acting executive director-treasurer George Bullard addressed the board and convention officers and asked "if this passes, do you believe the people who have said this is acceptable are advocates of it, and that they have a commitment to be proactive at convention to keep something more destructive from happening? Will you encourage them to do this?"

Board vice president JoAnn Sanderson said "yes, but you can't rule out wild cards," because any messenger can make a motion.

Horton said, "If so, I believe people would come to a microphone and speak in favor of this proposal and against a more radical proposal."

"It's important that the people to whom you refer show veracity and support what they have said is acceptable," Bullard said.

The initial vote on the budget was eight in favor and seven opposed, with one abstention. The person who abstained asked to change his vote to indicate opposition, creating a tie. Butler, who normally votes only in the event of a tie, voted in favor, making the final vote nine to eight. Four committee members had left due to other commitments before the vote was held.

Larry Hovis, coordinator of CBFNC, said in an interview that his organization receives no funds from any of the four plans, but "we still care very deeply about funding of CBF national ministries through the Baptist State Convention. While we're gratified that funds for CBF national will be retained and will grow by one half percent, we are concerned about the signal it sends that somehow these contributions are second class or invalid or not legitimate. In the past, CBF-related churches have been considered full partners in the Baptist State Convention. We hope this doesn't signal a move toward exclusion."

Ben McDade, director of communications for the CBF national office, said only that "the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship is very appreciative of the North Carolina convention extending this giving option to its churches for the ministry of the Fellowship."

The budget will now be forwarded to the full board of directors for consideration at its Sept. 27-28 meeting. If approved by the board, the budget will come before messengers to the annual BSC convention on Wednesday morning, Nov. 16. Messengers can then vote to approve or amend the budget.

In other budget-related changes, the proposed two-year plan calls for an overall increase of 2.1 percent in 2006, from $35.7 to $36.4 million, and an additional 3.7 percent increase in 2007, to $37.8 million.

The North Carolina Missions Offering budget would grow by 4.3 percent in 2006, to $2.53 million, and by 1.8 percent in 2007, to $2.58 million.

There is some shuffling of funds between teams of the convention staff, but no major changes. Funding for the colleges, agencies, and institutions would remain unchanged from 2005 in 2006, and receive a modest increase in 2007.

The largest increases to the budget come from anticipated increases for the cost of medical insurance for the convention staff.